Beautiful Ghosts
by BanishedOne
Summary: The war was long over, but some things are too horrible to forget; a mysterious veteran of the conflict seeks comfort in the company of a young soldier whose face is so familiar.


The candlelight cast a flickering, soft, yellow light over the bedroom, yet it was dimly perceived by the young soldier's eyes as his heavy lids fell closed and his lips parted in a moan so soft, it was near soundless. The warm, silky feeling of a woman's palms roved his naked flesh, the fingertips of one hand tracing the furrows in his skin, the subtle dips between his developed musculature and the blunt fingernails of her other hand lightly scraped the underside of his swollen member.

Never in his life had he been so hastily pursued by a woman and the notion left him breathless and bewildered, yet certainly delighted, all the same. Life as a somewhat junior soldier had been full of roughness and challenge that weighed heavily upon his fortitude, so the oddly fond, affectionate touch of a fairer being was a welcome change.

The young man's hips pleadingly pushed into the woman's palm, and he raised his blonde lashes just enough to spot the tiny grin tugging at the woman's pretty, pink lips at his neediness.

"Cia..." He breathed the lovely woman's name, his manner mild yet wanton at the very same time. This woman was an enchanting beauty, appreciative and tender in her lovemaking, yet oddly solitary in the way she seemed to live.

"Honestly," the young man muttered, the vast depths of his blue eyes tracing from her teasing fingertips as they smoothed over him, to her own somehow wistful eyes, like lovely gems that would have seemed blue, if not for the hint of vibrant crimson, "I'm still surprised that a woman as beautiful as you would approach me. I didn't think I was very interesting or impressive. I've only just completed my training as a soldier, and I've steadily learned that the women of Hyrule Castle Town generally don't hold very high regard for men from out of town."

Tittering softly to the astonished soldier's confessions, Cia gave her head a shake, raising herself onto her knees before the young man, pressing near to him. Her lips captured his in a reassuring and needful way, her soft yet heaving breasts squishing against his own chest, and his erection wetly bumped the skin between her hip bones.

"It's hard to tell there's such an attractive young man beneath that stifling helmet," she spoke, acting as though she'd had difficulty in discovering that the young man was such a gem beneath his soldier's armour. The truth of the matter, however, was that she had been carefully sorting through the Town's inhabitants in her usual manner, her magical crystal most helpful in this endeavour. This young man appealed to her very, very specific tastes, and since he was from a smaller village, there was less chance of him becoming suspicious of her and her true identity. "Though, I've always had something of a weakness for.. Soldier boys."

"Oh? Always?" he asked, curious as to how such a taste developed, since he was sure most women stayed away from the soldier types, assuming they all were rowdy in behaviour, and just a potential cause for heartbreak.

Cia stilled the boy's tongue with her lips as she kissed him again, her hands laying upon his shoulders, feeling the strength of them, despite how he had only just begun his career as a soldier. She did not fail to answer his question, though she was nonchalant in doing so. As she puled back from the kiss, she gave her own shoulders a shrug. "The taste developed during The Black Sorceress's War and dug itself in."

"You fought in The Black Sorceress's War?" the young man quickly spoke up, astonished. He looked the woman over, noting that she didn't seem nearly as scarred up as one would expect a soldier from the war to be. The young man didn't think much of it, and he couldn't help but smile at her admission, though she seemed to react to his excitement with an unamused expression. "I knew it. You're part Sheikah, aren't you?"

Now that he thought on it, everything began to make sense: The woman's richer skin tone, and her pale hair color, as well as the trace of ruby in her eyes. If she was trained as a Sheikah warrior, it could also explain the unmarred surface of her skin, as the Hylian boy had heard from his seniors that the Sheikah soldiers moved like phantoms on the battlefield, as impossible to see coming as they were to actually strike with any real success.

Such a thing could also explain the woman's mysterious nature, and the way she seemed to distance herself from the primarily Hylian population of Hyrule Castle Town. Maybe even her openness to intimacy compared to the average Hylian woman, who was so concerned with reputation and appearance. Well, that was speculation on the young soldier's part, but he assumed it made sense.

"Is now really the right time to talk about the war?" the woman chided, letting her head fall softly to one side in her dissatisfaction, her faintly furrowed brow questioning the young man's ability to maintain appropriate conversation.

"I'm sorry," the soldier chuckled softly, "It's just that the war has been so heavily discussed since I was young. Back then, it was pretty scary to hear that the Princess Zelda had fallen in battle, and that the Monarchy had been dismantled as a result. We thought the Black Sorceress was going to take the Hylian race as slaves, and my parents always talked about trying to run away, but then the Black Sorceress left the Hylian people in peace, after all, and we built a new system of governance from there."

The woman sighed, her fingertips coming to rest overtop of the young man's lips. "I know," she assured him, "I was there." She smiled and moved her hand to cup the young soldier's cheek, apparently not terribly deterred by his enthusiasm. "Can we please move on?"

A nod was given to the woman, the young man not wanting to try the patience of his lover for the night, and as he agreed to quieten himself, she gave him a gentle shove so that he fell onto his rump atop her plush sheets.

The change of topic hadn't waned his excitement even slightly, and perhaps he had the insatiable desire of his youth to thank for that, but even if he had softened amidst his distraction, the way the woman ducked herself low and smoothed her lips over the tip of his organ would have stirred him in an instant. The heft of her large breasts were flush to his legs, just above his knees, and a moan hummed in the soldier's throat as he felt the woman's tongue circle the tip of his member, one of her hands loosely encircling him as her other fell upon his thigh to steady herself.

'Ahh,' the soldier sighed and leaned his upper body back slightly, his palms pressed into the sheets as his arms supported his weight. He could feel faint tremors of pleasure down to his toes and they curled as the woman slid what she could fit of him into her mouth, her tongue warm and wet as it moved slowly back and forth along the underside of his shaft, then she drew back slightly, and pushed the tip of her tongue against the leaking slit, lapping at it.

If this had been a plot to remove all thought and words from the forefront of the young man's mind, it had certainly succeeded. The only thought suddenly occurring to him was to sneak a peek down at the woman as her skillful mouth teased and wet him; the curve of her waist as it tapered into her wide hips, and the plumpness of her bottom the way it raised up as her head ducked down low.

How could such a woman have been interested in him, he wondered. She was so bold, despite her apparent isolation, approaching him in his full armour and flipping up the visor of his helm in order to get a look at his face. It could have constituted some sort of offense, yet he was bereft of any sense of authority under her pleasantly stifling gaze.

All she did, in the end, was ask him if he was interested in meeting with her when he was released from guard duty at the end of the day, and he almost choked on his answer. The thoughts of her had distracted him for the rest of his shift, his excitement building throughout the day, the minutes passing as slowly as ever.

Another moan escaped the young man as he felt himself slide deeper into the woman's mouth, the tip of his erection just touching the back of her throat before she withdrew. Her fingers grasped him more tightly now, moving along his length with greater ease thanks to the slickness of her saliva, and she gave him a few slow, firm pumps from base to tip before she leaned in to kiss him again, her lips wet and her eyes peering so deeply into his, it was as though in this moment she could delve herself into his soul with the reach of her gaze.

"Would you like to taste me as well?" she asked, the question seeming as though it should hold some impish quality, though her voice had far too much of a commanding ring to it for such a thing despite how soft and silvery the sound. The young man moaned softly and gave his head a nod, and at his confirmation, the woman sat down on her rump, her plump thighs spread as she guided the blonde boy's head down near the warmth that lay between.

Her fingers splayed and grasped at the soldier's blonde hair, tugging lightly in appreciation as he moved kisses along the warm skin of her thighs between excited pants. Her roving fingertips moved to lightly brush along the shape of the young man's pointed ear, capturing the lobe between her thumb and forefinger and giving it the softest squeeze.

His hands slid beneath the reclined woman, his palms cupping her buttocks, idly kneading and lifting for better access as he kissed her moistened lips, eliciting quiet murmurs of approval.

The woman's head pushed back against the pillows of her bed, her chest expanding as she took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. The young man she'd invited into her bed was vigorous in his need to please, or else his desire for the taste of her. He pressed firm kisses to the swollen lips between her legs, pulling her nearer as though he couldn't get enough, even with the tip of his nose pushing against her supple skin, and his tongue flatly lapping at her lips and the wet crease. He kissed her there as one might passionately kiss their lover's mouth, suckling and nipping to tease at first before deepening the kiss and tasting their lover's hot, wet cavern.

The young man's thumb moved in slick, gentle circles around the woman's engorged clit as his tongue dipped inside her, his other hand moving to her thigh and pushing it back to splay her legs further, and open her up to him. His mouth closed over her as he delved inside, his tongue squirming as he pushed it deeply into her.

"Nnn, that's good," the woman cooed in amazement and delight, her breath coming in tiny, excited pants as she felt to be consumed and her stomach fluttered in response. To the praise, her soldier moaned softly in reply, pushing in further if such were possible, gladly appeasing the beautiful woman's desires and his own.

When he pulled back, his chest heaved with his breath, his lips reddened and wet, but he leaned back in within moments, softly lapping at the woman's clit and suckling it until she was moaning aloud and had to reach her hand down to stop him, lest her tension be prematurely defused.

The soldier raised himself up, kissing the woman upon her hip, her belly, then her breast, his palm being pressed to the one opposite and gently squeezing the soft, fullness of it. He'd surely never seen such large breasts uncovered before his eyes, and they were certainly a tantalizing sight. Everything about the women laid beneath him seemed so soft and lush, apart from the occasionally jaded, distant gleam to her eyes, as though her heart and mind where some place else, entirely.

But the young man wanted the beautiful, fellow soldier to be pleased with him, if only to repay the fact that she had so randomly and openly decided to allow him close. His lips closed around one nipple, the tip of his tongue flicking against the sensitive flesh until it puckered and he gave it a light nibble, so that the woman moaned and tugged at his golden hair.

When he raised his head, eyes peering down at the woman's flushed cheeks and cool expression, he gave her a playful grin and she couldn't resist reaching up to give his boyish cheek a pinch, laughing softly as she did.

Honestly, the young man found himself thinking that she seemed much too sweet to ever fight in a war. Maybe she had made that bit up to impress him, though somebody so far out of his league such as her hardly had to do such a thing.

"Are you sure you were in the war?" he asked in a suspicious tone, his blonde bangs moving softly against his forehead as he tilted his head. "You look pretty young and it's been years since then."

"That again?" the woman sighed. "Yes, I was there."

"Then tell me about some of the things you saw," he pressed, actually a bit more interested in what she may be able to tell him about it, in the case that she was telling the truth, than actually trying to catch her lying. A lot of the senior soldiers were veterans of the war, and told grand tales about their victories and also their horrendous losses. They had told the young soldier all about the cruelty of the Black Sorceress, the devastation of her generals and about how the Hyrulian armies fought with great resolve, even after the Princess Zelda fell. Tales were recounted about how the Hyrulian General led a flawless campaign, even against Ganondorf's army, and how the Hero bested his eternal enemy. He had also heard that the Black Sorceress's army had moved upon them while they were exhausted, wrenching the Triforce back into her possession before leaving the remnants of the Hyrulian army in complete desolation.

"I'm sure I can't tell you anything you haven't already heard," the woman spoke up, again attempting to avoid the topic. "All the stories about the war are the same."

"That's not true!" the young man insisted, "the stories are always so different, you might think that every soldier was fighting a different war. I've heard multiple stories about how the Princess Zelda died in battle. One of the veterans who was there claimed that the Black Sorceress tore the Princess limb from limb with her magic. Another one swears he saw the Black Sorceress cut her throat and drink her blood in order to absorb her divine power."

"They're both nonsense," the woman piped up, a certain sharpness to her voice. "The Black Sorceress did none of those things. Soldiers only tell those kinds of stories to make her sound like a monster, and to take away the attention from the shame of their losses."

"Oh?" the young soldier uttered, his interest piqued, as clearly as it shined in his deep, blue eyes, "then what _really_ happened?"

A sigh of both aggravation and resignation was emitted from the woman, and her eyes peered away from the young man before her as her mind ventured back to that day, the events playing through her memory like a faded film with distant, distorted sound. She could remember the stately way the Princess held herself and the fearless expression written on her flawless visage, even as her faith waned and flickered out. She recalled with perfect distinction how she'd exchanged blows with the Princess, until she managed to tear the rapier from the Princess's hand and send it far from reach. She saw it clearly in her mind as she reflected upon it; she'd pushed the end of her staff directly against the Princess's chest, smiling victoriously as Zelda uttered her last words.

"Princess Zelda stood fearless before the Black Sorceress, even after she'd fought and lost. The Sorceress raised her staff to the Princess's chest, and the Princess said, 'Even if I fall, all shadows must still meet light.' The Sorceress then fired a surge of magic into the Princess, stopping her heart instantly. Afterwards, she pulled her armies from the field, leaving the Princess's body to be collected by her people. There was none of that gruesome nonsense some of those deranged soldiers try to assert."

'Hnn,' the young man nodded his head in interest that was suddenly more somber than before, "the way you tell it is much more sad but dignified. It seems strange that our own people would want to make it sound like our Princess died in such awful ways, if she didn't..."

"I'm glad you're pleased," the woman smiled, looking up at the naive young man above her, whose face so reminded her of _another_ courageous soldier she'd once known. "So hopefully we can save any further discussions of it, at least, until the second date?"

"Yeah," the young man gladly nodded with a smile, before he leaned down to tenderly kiss the lovely woman. She pushed her sweet, pliant lips back against his in response, though she pushed her palms against his chest to press him back, and he found himself being coaxed to sit upright again, upon his knees.

The woman's arms loosely wound around his neck, poised atop his shoulders as her lips needfully closed over his. A lovely scent caressed her skin, floral, with a dark pinch of spice to it, the way one might expect flowers magically growing on the distant, silvery surface of the moon to smell; otherworldly. His fingers gingerly touched the back of the woman's head, smoothing over the pale, soft strands of her hair and combing through it, before sliding slowly down and over her, coming to pause upon her hips.

He could feel the sweltering, humid warmth gathered between her thighs as she crawled atop his lap, and he bit back a soft whine of anticipation. His rigid length twitched at the feeling of her wetness hovered just above him, and she reached a careful hand down to grasp him and hold him steady. She guided him as she lowered herself just barely, the tip of his member captured between her supple lips and poised just on the threshold of her entrance, a slight pressure being pushed down against him before he slid inside.

The woman hissed softly at the intrusion, though her inner muscles gave minimal resistance and she slowly lowered to sheath him completely within the warmth of her core. She could feel his body so near herself give a shiver and his hold upon her hips tightened slightly, tugging her down as though he could slither himself deeper. She gave a quiet laugh at this, her hands patting the young soldier's shoulder in amusement.

"A bit overzealous, aren't we?" she breathed lowly, wrapping her arms more tightly around his shoulders as she leaned in to rest her lips right against his ear.

"Hard not to be," the young soldier spoke, the strain of concentration plain in his voice. His words were spoken true; though this was not his first time, thankfully, being enveloped in the enchanting woman's slick warmth was an overwhelmingly wonderful feeling. Yet, lost to the ability to thrust his hips forward at will, his body rebelled ever so slightly. "You just feel so good."

The woman laughed softly, the warm flutter of her breath caressing the soldier's ear, then she dipped her head lower to press a kiss to his neck. "Well don't worry," she purred, "just relax and I'll show you it can still feel good, without you having to lunge for it like you've been starved for it."

It was the softness of her bottom that he felt first as she started to move, her knees pressed into the sheets to hold her up as she raised, then her warmth began to slide away and he almost whined at the cold sensation left behind. Her wetness had dribbled down from his base, dampened his testicles, every inch that connected between them suddenly moistened by her, as though she were some queen of rain.

Her hands grasped at his shoulders as she smoothly lowered herself down again, her pace a slow tease. She was as smooth as silk on the inside, her body hugging his with need. It was no wonder men had this notion that women were meant to lay down and that men were supposed to squish their privates deeply into that infernal, delightful secret space. The kind of hunger that existed inside women, or at least this woman in particular, was something overwhelming, intimidating. The truth was that part of them was made to consume, and it was a fearful feeling, thinking that maybe they could devour you whole, and that any given man would give himself over, helpless prey, if he couldn't maintain some illusion of control. But maybe the young soldier didn't mind having his defences stripped away and stolen.

Maintaining her slow, steady pace, the woman continued to draw herself up, until nothing but the tip of the man's erection remained inside, so near slipping completely from her grasp before she descended again, hungry, yet controlled. The quietest sounds passed her lips, not even quite a moan, but a shudder in her breathing, which the Hylian boy could hear easily with how her lips lingered near his ear, the tip of her nose nudging against his blonde hair, and occasionally she turned to place a kiss at the corner of his mouth, and he could feel her lashes against his cheek.

And suddenly, something about the intimacy felt more sensuous and needful than even the physical connection between the two could express. The young man hardly knew this woman, yet she touched him as though she cherished him, her hands giving the back of his neck a grateful stroke before they lowered to where his hands rested on her hips. Her fingers gently laced between his own, guiding his hands down until his palms were against her buttocks, and she gave a smile of approval.

"It's actually much more effective if, instead of pulling me back down to you, you help me raise myself up each time. This way, I won't tire out as quickly, understand?" Her tone was cool and casual, perhaps even fond as she guided the younger man, not an inkling of criticism or disappointment to be heard.

The soldier easily complied, so young, so easily written upon, so empty of experience that he held fast to any lesson offered.

Cia was all too pleased to have her instruction heeded, and perhaps her need to control lingered from that period of chaos that persisted in her memory, defining her, and she fought back everything that sought to remind her of everything that had happened.

For now, she could let physical stimulation distract her; her hips swayed gently as she drew herself up and down upon the soldier's lap in repetitive tandem, her pace as slow and gentle as a calm body of water lapping at a rocky shore. Her plump rear pushed back against the young man's palms as she sought even the slightest clitoral friction while she took him in and out.

The woman's lashes fluttered to her cheeks as she was lost in the sensation, the welcome feeling of her soldier's smooth skin pressing into the space within, his flesh gliding against hers and rubbing every hidden inch of her, not filling her so much as he came into existence within her, stretching her where she was normally closed off, and flooding her with stimuli where normally there was none. Her mouth opened slightly, her breath passing over her lips with a soft hum of pleasure.

Cia let her eyes open, her sight falling immediately upon the soldier's face; he had shut his eyes too, and his brow was softly furrowed in what was either a state of being overwhelmed, or else a dire need for more. His blonde hair fell over his forehead in disarray, and Cia laughed fondly before she raised a hand to gingerly brush his hair back, away from his eyes. Her soft palm then rested against the young man's cheek, and he opened his eyes to look upon her, seeming curious that she should be observing him so keenly.

"You know that you're really, such a beauty, don't you?" Cia purred, a sweet little smile curling the corners of her mouth, and when the young soldier seemed to so easily fluster at the praise, she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips, lowering herself hard on him and taking him in deep so that he moaned into the show of affection.

"Hnn... no," he uttered in return as the woman drew away, offering just enough space for him to speak, though the softness of her lips still brushed his own, "...I'm sure that I'm only average.."

Cia's fingertips traced along one of the soldier's pointed ears, and she gave him a skeptical look. "Do you think I have a reason to lie about what's right in front of me?"

"No," the soldier breathed, his deep, blue eyes looking into the woman's face, almost apologetic in his expression, "It's just that.. For somebody like you to say that.. When you're so.. Nnn, perfect." The boy smiled, his gaze still looking over the woman's face, and he moved one hand softly up and along her back. He couldn't help but think that, despite the tiny smiles that so often graced her countenance, there was something bittersweet hidden there, just beneath.

Perhaps she'd lost many friends, even family, or a soldier boy that was near to her heart. She'd obviously lost something important that could never be replaced, or she wouldn't be so lonely now.

Pulling the melancholy beauty slightly nearer to himself, the young soldier's hands grasped a bit more firmly at her soft rear, pushing her up and down with greater quickness and insistence, while keeping her close enough that he could feel her plump breasts softly bounce and bump his own chest with her movement. She was so soft and kind, and likely much stronger than he, himself, yet she had allowed him into her isolated world, and everything about this moment had begun to feel so perfect.. Perhaps his thoughts had become hazy and bizarre amidst the wonderful physical sensations.

Their skin had grown warm and humid, yet the younger of them clung ever more closely, though Cia uttered nothing to reject this closeness. The young Hylian pressed appreciative kisses to the woman's collarbones and shoulders in between soft pants and quiet moans as Cia heeded his needy gestures and quickened her rhythmic movement atop his lap. The soldier could feel her squeezing him, her blunt nails scratching at his shoulders in delight as she fell hard upon him with each downward motion.

At last the young Hylian came to the realization that he could hold the woman in suspension with his hands placed as they were and it gave him just enough space to excitedly raise his hips, pushing his length up into the waiting warmth, his skin wetly squishing against hers as he bucked like some young, unbroken horse, rebelling against his rider, and this earned him a few chastising slaps on his bare shoulders, but Cia moaned at his spirited thrusting just the same.

"You don't have much discipline for a soldier," Cia teased in a breathless tone, one hand meandering down along the soldier's chest, a fingertip teasing a single nipple before it dropped away, and her fingers strayed down lower to press and rub at her clit, furthering her stimulation, moving her closer to the waiting ecstasy that promised its closeness in the pleasant burn between her thighs, the jolting delight that was steadily thumped into her over and over.

"I'm just giving you a break," the soldier somewhat laughed, though his face had set itself into a focussed expression, much too serious for his boyish features. It was difficult to decipher now if he was trying to keep himself going, or if he had begun to fixate on the finish.

"You think that was all I had?" the woman quipped, intentionally pushing down against the hold he had on her, slipping from his grasp, sheathing him inside herself, and pressing his hips down so his rump was firmly pushed into the blankets beneath. Cia's hands both came to the soldier's chest, and she shoved him backward, so he fell onto his back with a huff. Her fingernails beared down against the man's flesh, firm but only enough to leave little crescent-shaped marks on his skin, and he squirmed against her hold, shivering and moaning as she resumed her slow pace, moving up and down so little, it was barely even a tease.

"Maybe you need a firmer hand," the woman coyly purred, giving the boy a playful sort of glare, but he dared not challenge it, because the notion of her firm hand was much too intriguing.

Seeing the young soldier submit, a grin pulled at Cia's lips and she brought a hand up to push her silvery bangs back slightly from her face, though they had begun to lightly cling to her forehead.

Her soldier let his moans escape in the most flawlessly unabashed way as she resumed her previous pace, matching his insistent quickness. Her legs pushed and raised her higher than before, and she thrust herself down upon the soldier with aggressive need each time she lowered, driving him deeply into her.

It was bliss for him, she could see; his pretty lips were open and his brows drew together in pleasurable torment. He was a stubborn boy, but she could feel his swollen member twitching inside her, and she knew he couldn't continue to hold on.

'Ahh,' the woman sighed and moaned and she rode, one hand moving back to where she needed it, to rub herself to climax. She could feel herself near the edge, and even if she wanted to deny it a bit longer, she also wanted to feel the delightful waves of it pulsing through her while she still held fast to the young Hylian's engorged excitement.

Yes, she was almost there- this boy would probably see her shivering in orgasm, feel her grip on him tighten in need, and then he wouldn't be able to keep himself from letting go. Cia's eyes squeezed shut, her chest heaved in rapid pants and her focus turned almost fully inward, so that when the lone candle in the room began to fizzle and flicker, she didn't notice until the tiny flame took its last breath and burned out, leaving naught but shadow and the faint scent of perfumed wax and smoke.

The Sorceress opened her eyes in vague surprise, the deep crimson light that glowed like hot embers beneath her pupils shining with surprising vibrance in the darkness, and at first she glanced toward the candle in minor annoyance, but her gaze shifted to the young soldier beneath her when she felt a tremor pass through him.

Even in the dark, Cia could make out the details of the Hylian's features; he was making a face the woman surely hadn't seen on him yet. He tried to remain as casual as he'd been the entire time, yet there was a certain nervousness that was still glaringly apparent. The woman leaned in, placing a gentle hand atop his chest, and she could feel the racing beat of his heart, and for an instant, she let her own features turn cold and pinched.

A moment later, however, Cia brought the soft smile back to her lips, and she asked, "what is it, afraid of the dark?" in an airy tone, watching the evolution of the soldier's discomfort as he tried so hard to hide it. He was cornered, he knew, and the little war enthusiast that he was.. He couldn't get by with playing it stupid. He swallowed dryly, too unnerved to even continue looking upon the woman on top of him.

"I've heard some other stories about the war," came his voice, quiet and tight in his throat, "about the Black Sorceress.. I've heard plenty of terrible things about her. But, the detail I hear repeated about her appearance more than anything else.. Was that she wore a black mask, yet even so her eyes burned like fire behind it, and they glowed the color of blood as she fought."

"Yes," Cia breathed, still as calm as it was possible to be, and she wore a sweet smile upon her face, though there was a tinge of regret to be seen in the shine of her gaze, "and she was a merciless killer. Few actually came near enough to see the light from her eyes without having their bodies dissolved, bones and all, by her powerful magic. She killed hundreds of pretty, little soldier boys like you. Any of the soldiers that just disappeared during the war were assumed dead, and assumed to be her victims.. That was the nature of her magic. It didn't leave anything behind. Their families couldn't even mourn over the bodies of their loved ones, they were just gone.."

Leaning down, Cia brought her lips near the trembling soldier's, her hand fondly caressing his cheek, her shining eyes boring into his. A soft laugh bubbled from her, and she smiled as she spoke, "..so you know what could happen to you, if you speak of what you know now."

Cia watched the young man as he uttered nothing in response, not even a word of agreement, but instead a nervous nod of his head. His chest was rapidly rising and falling, and his eyes shimmered with fretful tears in the dark, but there was something else, something unusual.. He hadn't shrunken down even slightly, and Cia could still feel his rigid length pushed into her.

"Aren't you afraid?" she asked, as though confused, and she adjusted herself on top of him in a tentative way. She could see him bite his lip, his throat moving as he fought to contain some sort of vocalization before he offered a sheepish nod of his head.

"Yes," he stated. How could he lie?

"But you're still hard," Cia commented, pushing back against his erection so that it pushed even more deeply into her, and she could feel his hips bare into the movement.

An amused laugh escaped from the Sorceress, and she brought her fingers to her lips as though to stifle it. The soldier couldn't even help the gasp that was elicited by just the way her body tightened on him as she laughed. "I see," she breathed as she quieted her laughter, "you're afraid.. But you're excited. Does the danger really stoke your desire so much?"

He quietly nodded, and she found herself giggling all over again.

"You can go," she said, entertained by the entire situation, but wanting to be sure the boy really was still willful despite the revelations, "I won't kill you for not finishing, you silly boy."

He didn't even need to think about his answer, and he gave his head a vehement shake.

"Ohh, you're brave, aren't you?" Cia toyed, though she reached down to tuck her fingers gently behind the soldier's head, and she raised him back upright, so that he could be near her. A nervous gasp was drawn from him at the closeness, but she pressed the most tender kiss to his lips, and his tenseness slowly began to melt away.

Carefully, the Sorceress raised herself up, so that the young soldier's rigid member slid from her warmth with the wet sound of her body releasing its hold on him. He made a quiet noise of discomfort from the chill that fell over him, but he watched with interest as the woman reclined herself against the plushness of the blankets.

"Come on, then," she goaded him with a certain challenge to her tone, "come and fuck me, if you're so brave. Or did your fear drain all that vigour you had before?"

The soldier's blue eyes narrowed, but a smile traced his lips at such a welcome blood rush, such a welcome challenge. He crawled nearer on his knees, his hands cautious in their touch as his fingertips smoothed over the Sorceress's pretty knees, splaying her legs, and roving over the softness of her thighs. It was as though he were dipping his foot into icy waters, feeling the dangerous chill on his skin before diving in anyway.

One hand was tucked into the warm crook behind the woman's knee, and the soldier pressed one leg back as he pushed himself into her, a moan vibrating in his chest at the warm embrace, the wet grasp around him as it was returned.

'Ahh,' Cia let an overly teased sound pass her lips as she pressed her head back into the pillows and the Hylian began thumping into her with hunger that was foolishly bold. His hips thrust with delicious quickness, lunging into Cia with desperation, and she swallowed him to the hilt with each forward motion.

Amazingly, her own mounted pleasure hadn't gotten stifled by the awkward situation that had occurred, and her body grasped at the pleasure that was delivered into her. She spared the boy above her a glance in the dark, looking over him in the silvery shine of the moon from the window- he was so bold, so vibrant, so familiar, too familiar..

She found somebody who was almost too good of a match, and something about that broke her slowly on the inside while it teased her undying passions that much more.

She just wished.. That it were..

Reaching for the soldier boy, Cia grabbed him by the wrist and drew him nearer though he tensed and momentarily stopped in confusion. Even so, he willingly lowered his body against hers as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, not impeded at all by the slight change in position. He still pushed his hips against her with haste, even as he moved to echo her, and he wrapped his arms around her chest almost shyly, his palms against her shoulder blades as he held tightly to her.

She wished she'd had the chance to hold _him_ like this.

Her breath came out in quiet pants, excited but stifled as she pressed her lips against his neck, little mewls of building pleasure coming from her with every other thrust. She raised her legs to give the young Hylian better access, one leg crossing slightly over his back and she could feel him immediately delve himself in deeper. She could feel the prickle of tears at the corner of her eyes at how overwhelmingly good it felt. One arm strayed from its position over the young soldier's shoulder, escaping down between her legs to further her stimulation.

The Hylian was echoing the Sorceress's vocalizations just as readily, feeling her excitement envelope him, squeezing him. His mouth was open against her neck as he rushed to catch his breath. She clenched around him, and her body shivered in his arms. Her excitement was tantamount to overflowing, but his was even closer, and before he even realized it, he was at the edge, stumbling over. He lost himself- with a grunt and a shudder, he spilled into the woman under him, his hips still bucking in an uneven way as his member twitched and ejaculated.

The woman beneath the Hylian squirmed and let out a cry, her back arching, her head falling back; it was suddenly so warm and she shivered in release, the shock of orgasm spreading down her legs, all the way to her toes so they curled and twitched in pleasure.

The Hylian fell as still as a fearful animal, watching as the last of the woman's explosive bliss trembled through her and over her, leaving her laying still and catching her breath. She could feel him soften and he drew his hips back until he was freed from her grasp. In the haze of the afterglow, her shining eyes peered up at the boy who hovered over her, looking suddenly like a child expecting reprimand.. Or death.

"I.. I'm sorry," he uttered, a fearful tremor to his tone, though Cia was so utterly placid, she could only respond with a confounded expression. Did she really seem so scary? What was he apologizing for?

"It snuck up on me, I didn't mean to-"

"Shh," she said, giving her head a frustrated shake as she realized what he was going on about. A careful hand reached up, fingertips pressing to his lips, though despite her gentleness, the soldier fidgeted from the touch.

"You are brave. Brave and foolish," she laughed quietly, her eyes dully glowing as she watched him shrink away at her words, "Brave enough to fuck the Black Sorceress, even though you have no control over when and where you come. You must think you're some kind of war hero now."

"Please," he whispered, bringing up his hands as though in his defense.

"Oh stop that," Cia hissed, raising herself up on one elbow for the purpose of pushing the young man's hands back down, "I'm only teasing you. You're lucky. The wrath of a Hylian woman would be so much worse."

"You're.. Not angry?" the soldier asked, genuinely confused, though even in his confusion there was some shadow of relief that could be heard.

"Your 'accident' can't cause me any harm or heartache. I'm not mortal. My physical traits, the body you see, my womb.. All created by imperfect magic. In other words, I can't conceive, if that's what you're worried about."

Cia lowered herself back against the sheets, stretching and relaxing, though her company lingered in stunned silence. She watched him, unable to keep herself from admiring him, even now. She couldn't keep herself from wondering why such gentle boys chose to become soldiers. Why did life insist of beating the light out of them?

The soldier said nothing, but Cia could see his deep, blue eyes flickering here and there, observing the reclined woman before himself while he appeared to be either deep in thought, or otherwise unsure of how to excuse himself.

"What are you thinking?" Cia asked, at last, her voice smooth and calm.

"Just that.." he hesitated for a moment, daring a glance into the Sorceress's shining gaze, before lowering his eyes again, "..You seem kinder than the stories would suggest." He spoke softly, tentatively, a certain wariness still holding him, though in his eyes was the gleam of curiosity that could not be brushed off, not now that he had seen evidence against everything he'd ever heard about this woman- witch? Monster? When he was younger, he'd heard tell of the Sorceress like she was wicked beast, not capable of feeling, or possessed of morality.. As though she were out for the blood of the Hylian people, and the flesh of their Hero. He couldn't bear to leave his questions unanswered.

It was now Cia who averted her gaze, her head slowly turning to one side, and her eyes looked toward the window in a forlorn way. She despised speaking of that damnable war. She suffered for it, for the memories of it, as any mortal did, but she had an eternity to live with her regrets, her sorrows. She'd almost begun to accept the terrible things the Hylian people said about her, because maybe in some way, they were true.

A sigh was the first soft sound that came from the woman as she resigned herself to enlightening this foolish young Hylian about the real nature of things. "War is terrible," she said, "And I've done terrible things. But we all did terrible things, to live, to succeed. I was the cause of so much death, so much suffering, so much loss.. And I am neither proud, nor do I regret it. I'm not pure nor benevolent, but I will tell you the one thing that Hylians will deny at every chance. I'm no more evil than anybody else, either. I had purposes for everything I did. I had reason to fight, to change things, and it was both selfish and selfless at the exact same time. I watched the same war play out throughout the ages, over and over again. I thought, if I had to be the cause of just one more, at least, maybe.. It could be the last one."

Nodding, the young man took a moment to let Cia's words sink in. It was difficult to process, but he supposed he could understand the resentment of his people, toward the person who killed someone as beloved to them as the Princess. At the very same time.. he felt, almost guilty, to have lived so long in ignorance.

"Can you answer one last question?" he asked, still cautious in the way he did so, perhaps even more so than before, considering the nature of his question.

"What?"

"They say that you took the Hero as spoils of war," he uttered with a degree of care in his tone, though he could see the Sorceress's expression shift to something akin to bitterness at his words. "I heard that he just disappeared, and nobody ever saw him again. They say you came upon him when he was weak and couldn't fight back, and that you've had him ever since... but what really happened to him?"

Cia's face twisted first into a mask of anger, but that quickly faltered, and the feeling faded away until there was nothing left. At least, she tried to feel nothing. She wished she could feel nothing.

"When I felled The Princess Zelda, I took her soul into my possession," she began slowly, her voice suddenly soft and tremulous, "There was a bond between her soul, and the soul of the Hero- it was the reason he was always reborn with her, the reason he wasted himself time and time again in her defense, and in the defense of her dominion. My intention was to sever that tie, and set him free from his bondage.. But I needed both of their souls in order to accomplish that."

"You killed him..?" the soldier was surprised, the rumors of how Cia coveted the Hero still much too deeply ingrained in him for the truth of the matter to be easily swallowed, "Just like that?"

The sound of those words twisted like a blade into wounds that could never fully heal, and Cia cringed at the sound, trying to keep the pain locked away, even as it was forced back to the surface and waved before her face all over again.

"In the battle against Ganondorf, the last battle for Hyrule, I sent my remaining forces in to support what was left of the Hyrulian army. I was there, I fought alongside the Hylian people. Even my one remaining General offered his aid, though he'd broken free from my control, and could have easily refused. I wanted to aid the Hero more than anything.. I wanted to let him be the one to choose whether or not his chains would be broken, in the end. But even after Ganondorf had fallen, and the war was won, when I sought the Hero out, it was already too late."

She could recall every detail as though she'd just left the battlefield and was now resting here, in this bed, with a fellow soldier. The air reeked of sulphur and smoke, blood and viscera. The sky was hazed from the fires that still burned, and the low-hanging clouds were red, just like the blood-sodden earth. The burning crackle, the rumble of structures collapsing from the destruction of that man's beast-like form, and the soft, mournful cries of the injured and dying that scattered the ground was the eerie song that hung on the air.

When she found the Hero, he lay dying among a messy tapestry of other deceased soldiers that stretched as far as the eye could see. He was bleeding out, in shock, his broken body writhing in the spasms of death. In his eyes, even as he struggled for each breath, one could see a faint awareness, a kind of familiarity.. It broke Cia's heart to see, then, just how well acquainted he was with suffering, with death. The acceptance of it, so plain in his eyes, speaking his soul without any words, even though his pain was tremendous and his injuries were fatal.

"He was too brave for his own good.. He was too brave, too selfless, to ever be happy," Cia spoke, bringing her fingertips up to smooth across the skin beneath her eyes, to wipe away the tears before they traced her cheeks, "I made his choice for him, because he was a pitiful fool who couldn't protect himself. I had to make the choice he could never make. I had to choose to protect him, because no matter how many lives he led, he never made that choice himself."

She held him in her arms. She took away his pain. She stayed right there until he was gone. No matter how many times she'd watched him die, this time wasn't any easier. At the very least, this time he wouldn't die alone and forgotten. Once his soul was free from his body, she severed the bond that tied him to Hylia.

"He's nobody's Hero now, not even my own. He's free. He's probably already been reborn by now.. and because his binds as the Hero are undone, even I will never know who he is, ever again. All I have are my memories.." a bittersweet chuckle came from her as her eyes met those of the listening soldier, and she looked upon him softly, raising herself up enough for a gentle hand to cup the young man's cheek, "..and beautiful ghosts like you to remind me."

"You think I look like him.." He made a quiet noise, seeming almost discontent or as though he were pouting, "that's the real reason you chose me."

Cia offered a nod of her head to answer the boy's question, then gestured to her bedroom door. "You can go, you know.." she began, thinking her companion still seemed a bit nervous of making any sudden movements.

However, the truth behind the soldier's hesitance was that he was enraptured, intrigued. "..perhaps," he began, shyly speaking up, "..if you would permit it, I could stay?"

The woman smiled, amused and somehow grateful. "For tonight, then," she answered.

;

END


End file.
